Operation Move - Step Three

Part Three has involved quite a few purchases. Hmm. Not really good considering I have no money. But hey, I am selling old stuff and using the money from that to buy new stuff. Isn't that the responsible way to do it? It is in my book!

My lovely cousin, Sabrina, has been helping me loads with getting ready for the move. We love hanging out and have so many things in common. She recently moved back home after having lived in Copenhagen for a few years. It's great to have her close by again. As you can see we heart hanging out! She helps carry moving boxes, she helps clean and drives me all over town. Well, today was a longer drive to get to a destination we both love so dearly: IKEA!


Ikea is my best friend! At least when I have money to spend there. Otherwise I hate the cheap cheating slag waving all the cheap furniture and great deals in my face! Uh, easy now... Ikea is a good place, don't taint it!

Anyway, getting away from the point. We went to Ikea today, and I think my husband, Martin, was really glad that we chose to go alone and not insisting he came with us. He, like any other man on the planet I guess, hates Ikea. So off we went in Sabrina's massive Ford station car, ready to load it to the max. In my attempt to be responsible and cost effective, I had written a list of things I needed and done calculations of how much money I would need to spend. Needless to say, the list didn't resurface from my bag until the ride home. I actually didn't buy a whole lot of stuff I didn't need. Sure?! No, really!

The things I had to buy were shelves for DVD's - which we have loads of, another carpet, bed sheets, a bath curtain and cheap boxes for my closet for all my delicates :) I got all of that, being the list follower that I am. What I didn't need to buy I bought as well. I bought extra shelves for DVD's - one would never be enough. Also, my earlier mentioned Shepard Fairey posters needed frames as well. They were hella expensive, because the posters are so big. But it will look absolutely amazing! And it is the one thing my husband would really like to put up on the walls of our apartment, so of course they need proper fitting and they can be put up. Then I bought new umbrellas, because we walk quite a lot since we sold our car, and there is "no such thing as bad weather", apparently. Inspired by the ever cool Jessica Jones of howaboutorange.blogspot.com, I chose the orange ones. Then I bought small things like gift wrapping supplies, stickers, toilet brush - you know, the essentials!

Our local Ikea closed down its gift wrapping department quite a while ago. It has been impossible to find any cool gift paper, ribbon or anything, really. But now they have reopened that "department" with a small, but cool and essential collection. Last time I bought these green delights! Gift paper, ribbon, silk paper, masking tape, a book and gift tags. Such a cool design. On my visit to Ikea today I went with the pink version. Green and pink look cool together, so I can mix and match, and the colours are for boys and girls.

I feel like I have done a great job and that we really needed these things in order for us to make the apartment extra cool. All the black frames with cool posters, the green carpets under the dining table and the sofa table will look absolutely amazing. I wish we could afford a new couch that would fit the style a bit better, but money doesn't grow on trees! Who knew?!

Also buying the stuff to fill your apartment with is such a cool process. Before you can decorate a place, you need to buy the stuff to decorate with. Mission accomplished!

Now bring on the pasta and the oatmeal for the rest of the month!

Operation Move: Step Two!

Today we picked up the key for our new apartment! Not really as excited as I thought I'd be.. Probably because we were told that is was completely impossible to get the key before Monday July 1st.. So we arranged for our movers-helpers-friends to come the following weekend. But now! We have an entire weekend ahead of us with no car to move our own stuff, loads of other plans and all we want to do it get started..

Anyway. We went down to check out the apartment again and brought my parents. They loved the place and made me feel a bit more excited about it. I am excited! Really!

Another thing that has helped the excitement along is my new posters! As I wrote about in a previous post, I was in love with these vintage camera posters and that they would look great in a simple, black frame with a white passe-partout around it. And tadaaaaaa! Today I picked up the posters from the graphic design store, and immediately put them in their frames. It looks absolutely amazing! Don't you think?

As I have gotten older, I have finally found out what kind of style I would like in my home. Luckily, my husband and I agree on a lot of those things. Sometimes he tells me I am going overboard with some stuff, but then he finds a plastic motorcycle in 1:24 and wants to put that in the prime spot in our living room. When it has been there for a while I get to put up more of my stuff! I actually think that it is so wrong not to let the man of the family have a say in what their home should look like. If he cares - which, let's face it, most men don't - then let him have a say! I hate those homes where it is so obvious that the woman has decided everything and there is no trace of a man living there. It is all white, beige and generic. If your man has a hobby and he wants to display it, let him!! For God's sake.. It is one of the keys to a healthy relationship. After a couple of years of being without any influence in his own home, the man will eventually struggle to find himself and at some point find himself estranged from his own life. I have seen it happen, and it is ugly! So what if he wants a big screen TV or big-ass speakers? The quality of the TV is great and the sound from the speakers is so much better, the bigger they are. So what, if he wants to put up little cars and motorcycles? As long as the colors match the rest of the stuff, who cares! What isn't the man thinking about the woman's stuff that she insists of putting up? This is my advice to women in the world; Let your man have a say if you want a happy, long and interesting relationship!

Speaking of going overboard with the stuff I like. I was recently given a reproduction of some old, vintage paper dolls called Big Marie and Little Marie. They refer to a Danish biscuit called Marie-biscuits and they are great :) Of course, when the biscuits were called Marie, a personification of them would be the only right thing to have. This reproduction would look great in a frame matching the camera posters and would look absolutely lovely over my new working-sewing-drawing station in the new apartment. So, naturally, the poster got fitted in it's frame and is ready to hang on one of my walls. It is too cute, I think! (Sorry for the dark photo!)

I think that was it for updates on the move. Looking at the pictures, trying to figure out where to put them, is getting me excited again about moving and starting over a new place. Hopefully this move will give us the kick in the face... no, butt... no, just kick, that we need to start changing our lives and make things happen for us instead of waiting for this things to happen to us.

The Hunger Games-hunger

So, I finally finished the third volume of the Hunger Games series.

At first I was not convinced that it was any good. I couldn't be bothered with yet another series swallowing my life whole and not letting me get on with anything else before I have completed the entire series. This is what happened with Harry Potter, the Thursday Next series, Twilight. I get so caught up and I stay up all night just pushing through. On top of that I am a really slow reader, so it takes me forever sometimes to get anywhere with a book. Even so, it is the worst when you have to wait for the next book in a series to be published. J.K. Rowling sure took her time finishing off the whole Potter-deal. Luckily, when I succumbed to the Twilight Saga all the books had been released and I bought the box-set. Good thing, too, because I finished all four books in 4 days.

Anyway, I started the Hunger Games, not knowing what to expect. But I was hooked! It was so exciting and riveting, compelling and un-put-downable. I love the complex character of Katniss Everdeen. She is a very different antagonist who has more bad and undesirable attributes than good ones, which is really refreshing. There is such a feeling of girl-power that I can't help getting carried away. (I was a teenager of the late 90's - girl-power is real to me ;)).

It's been ages since I started reading the first. I think I didn't start until the movie was announced. Usually I prefer to read the book upon which a given movie is based. It gives a much more detailed understanding of the plot and the characters. So many things are cut out from the story when it is remade for the screen. I know they have to, and some things must be altered to be more camera-friendly, but often it compromises the story. Anyway, it was a great book! The movie was alright, but nowhere near as good at the book. So I was kind of disappointed about the movie. They could have done more..

Then I had to read the second one, of course. I hadn't bought the 2nd and 3rd book, because I was sure I would hate the first. So off to the store, and get on with it! The second book was brilliant. Even better than the first. You get to know the characters even better, the story gets much more complicated. the plot thickens.. However, there were so many new, weird names to keep track of. Never mind, though!
Right now I am so excited about the 2nd book - my favorite of the series! And! It is a real plus that it premieres on my birthday :) :) The first teaser trailer is out, and I am so excited about it. Have you seen it?

I just finished reading the third book. It was so dull to begin with. I put it away for months - I could not be bothered with it! Then I forced myself to finish it, so I could put it away. It didn't take me 10 pages to get fully consumed by the turn of events and I had to spend all night last night finishing it. It was actually a great book. I am one of those people who can cry over books. So naturally, with all the deaths and heartbreak I was bawling my eyes out.I love being to engrossed in a story that even written words can affect you so much you tear up. That also meant I could not put the book down or even think about going to sleep.

Now I have finished the trilogy. Just have to wait for the movies - which will be ages before they are done.. I will have to re-read the Catching Fire before I see the movie, just so the story is fresh in my memory.

Do you have a hunger for the Hunger Games?

First piece of clothing: Done!

I have done it! I have actually made myself a piece of clothing. I am so proud!

The maxi dress trend tends to come back every summer, and I have always wanted to be able to wear one. Being a plus-plus size girl, it can be very difficult finding something - anything, really - that doesn't make you look like a whale caught in a circus tent.

So I thought... Hey, I've got loads of fabric and I know how to work that sewing machine. I'll just make one!   Just as I had the thought it occurred to me that my imagination is making me promises my sewing skills can't keep. But what the freak, I'll give it a go!

All I had to do was to copy the "pattern" of one of my favorite tank tops - of course factoring in seam allowance and various body parts that bulk out a bit -  and then decide how wide the dress should be at the bottom. I love swirly dresses, so of course I wanted to be as wide as the fabric I had would allow. It didn't turn out quite as swirly as the little girl version of me wanted, but it turned out just perfect for the adult version. Who needs to twirl and swirl anyway... Who am I kidding - I'll add extra fabric later to make it more swirly!!

This being my first piece of clothing and all, I am very happy with it! Sure, there are little errors and things I want to change, but no one notices those things except me. So why bother, right?!

What do you think??

I can wear it with or without the belt. With the belt makes it a bit more dressy. Having no belt makes it much more comfortable, for one, but also makes it more casual-slip-on-wear-to-the-beach-ish.

Hopefully I will get loads of opportunities to wear this dress over the summer. Until now the weather has been lovely, so here's to hoping it will continue.

Do you want to make one too?? I can give you a few tips :)

Thanks! Have a great sunday evening :)

So inspired!

I wish I was a creative girl! I just visited www.lovevsdesign.com and followed the blog howaboutorange.blogspot.com, and I am amazed!! These people are soooo creative!

If things were different - like if I won the lottery - I would not be spending my time and energy on finding a job to pay my bills. I would spend all day - and, to be honest, all night - looking at websites like the ones I just mentioned. I would learn how to sow, how to draw and how to design all sorts of weird things.. That is one of the things I am really looking forward to when I, at some point in the apparently distant future, get pregnant. Of course I will give birth to the easiest child in the world, which would allow me to spend some of my maternity leave on learning all of these things.
I have already taken up knitting! My mum has always knitted. If I would have worn it, she would have knitted me underwear.. Not kidding, btw!! So I am now knitting myself a scarf. The easiest thing in the world - according to my mum - but I have made so many holes, knitted in uneven loops and it doesn't look like a scarf my mum would have made!
Anyway, I plan to throw all my creativity at this scarf, once I am done knitting it. I will sow pearls, buttons and tinker on the scarf.. At least one of the things! If it turns out allright, I will be sure to post a photo of it.. And maybe open up a small business of scarf production... As if -.-